unadult
9.9
Not mature in behaviour or interests, like a child
- adjective
- /ˌʌnəˈdʌlt/
- Informal
:
no adulto
- The unadult attitude of the group made it difficult to hold a proper discussion on serious topics.
Examples
-
She noted how unadult the boy looked sitting where her own children sat, even though he was obviously consumed with adult concerns.
Fiction book (1993) -
His behavior at the party was so unadult that everyone dismissed him as too immature to be taken seriously.
-
When faced with responsibilities, she often acted in an unadult manner, avoiding decisions like a child would.
Synonyms
nonadult
vsunadult
5.6
Not yet fully grown or mature
has identical meaning but differs in form or label
subadult
vsunadult
6.8
Not fully grown but almost mature
is broader and means lacking grown qualities or status rather than being nearly mature
9.9
A person who is younger than the legal age to be an adult
is broader and covers lack of maturity or social status beyond legal age
How Mature
Surface Forms
unadult positive
Morphology
Etymology
Unadult comes from the familiar prefix un- meaning 'not' and adult meaning 'grown' or 'mature'. Think of it as 'not grown-up', so unadult describes people, places, or behaviour that lack adult qualities.